1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an apparatus and a process for counting and packaging beneficial insects larvae or eggs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Protection of agricultural commodities from insect infestations and the direct loss caused by insects are costly. Chemical insecticides are used to control insects that damage agricultural commodities such as grapes, cotton, barley, citrus, pecans, Christmas trees, ornamental plants, etc. However, recent concerns about insecticide residues on commodities, resistance of insects to chemical insecticides, hazardous exposure to pesticide applicators, environmental contamination, destruction of natural biocontrol agents, such as beneficial insects, and lack of newly developed insecticides have increased the need for alternative control methods. Furthermore, as pests become more resistant to pesticides, more frequent treatments are required which increases the human health hazard.
Control methods, such as those that use beneficial insects, lessen the need for chemical insecticides. However, the standard methods for rearing beneficial insects are labor intensive. There are a few methods for collecting and delivering known quantities of beneficial insects to infested plants or stored grain products which use weight and/or volume as a measure of number of insects. There remains a need in the art for automated counting and packaging of beneficial insect larvae and eggs. The present invention provides such an automated system which solves some of the problems associated with prior art methods of manual counting and packaging and methods using weight and/or volume measures.